The Blog of Gordon Pruitt the Pastor of St. Matthew's United Methodist Church in Richmond Virginia

Thursday, September 03, 2009

Tuesday, September 01, 2009

Kingdom Possibilities

Rereading a Devotional guide to Renovation of the Heart by Dallas Willard and the first chapter is titled Kingdom Possibilities. When we read certain parts of scripture its as if we are looking into another world, a world that many professing Christians do not believe can be entered into. Willard believes as i do that this world is possible and is promised. Ephesians 3:19-20, 1 Peter 1:8,22, 2:1, 2:15, and 5:17 are some of the scriptures, (look them up)!

Jan Johnson who also helps with this devotional, writes the following which I think is awesome.

Is it possible we rush to say, "nobody's perfect" because we've met so few people who show genuine love and move through life without superiority, insensitivity or gossip? Mayb ewe have met a few but didn't notice the beauty of their Christlikeness. Instead, we were impressed by other things--their ability to quote Bible verses or answer questions about world religions. Those who speak articulately about the Bible may draw our attention more than those who live a transformed life.

Try picturing this hypothetical moment of dwelling on the beauty of God and the kingdom life: Let's say i confessed to you my disgust with someone who annoyed me and how hopeless I felt about ever loving this person. What if instead of trying to make me feel better by saying, "Nobody's perfect," you said you believed in God's power to transform me into a radical person who pays loving attention to those who annoy me? What if you prayed for me about this? What if later that day you encountered an annoying person and, without thinking, treated that person with kindness and attentiveness--partly because of the transforming effect of our conversation about the kingdom personality?
I don't know about you but that is the kind of life I want to live.